


Wedding Gift, The

by westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist



Category: The West Wing
Genre: Episode: s07e08 The Wedding, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-09-04
Updated: 2008-09-04
Packaged: 2019-05-15 04:09:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,688
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14783333
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist/pseuds/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist
Summary: Josh and Donna hook up after Ellie's wedding.





	Wedding Gift, The

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

  
Author's notes: This was just an excuse really to write a little smut.  


* * *

I walk through the familiar halls of the White House at my normal brisk White House pace. It doesn’t look very glamorous in this dress, but I’m not sure I know how to walk normally here. There’s always something going on and something to be done. You’re never walking from anything here, you’re always walking to the next thing.

Right now, my next task is finding Josh. I can’t seem to leave him alone tonight. There’s whispers of him being fired and I’m livid on his behalf. I can’t tell if he’s even concerned about it because he’s been obsessing over that stupid little electoral map all night. Something about Illinois.

I’ve already decided that I’m going to quit if they fire him tonight. I didn’t show him much loyalty when I left. That won’t be the case tonight. 

The rumors tonight are that the DNC wants Leo to take over the campaign. Whoever heard of the Vice Presidential candidate running the Presidential campaign? The DNC is run by a bunch of fat old stupid men. 

I round a corner and stumble upon the Congressman and Barry Goodwin just in time to hear Barry Goodwin suggest to the Congressman that he take the DNC’s advice and replace Josh with Leo. 

It’s too much for me. I snap.

“I’ll quit if that happens.” I announce my presence with great bravado.

“Donna Moss, this is Barry Goodwin.” The Congressman doesn’t look at all phased by my little announcement there. 

“I know who he is, sir.” I say. “Congressman, I know I’m replaceable on the campaign, but Josh is not. You can’t let him go.”

“Donna...” the Congressman starts, but I’m not done with my argument.

“Maybe I went with who was supposed to be the safe choice in the beginning, but there was never any doubt in my mind that Josh would get you here. This White House WILL be yours on election day, sir, and Josh made that happen. The DNC can advise you and cry all they want,” I say poking my finger in Barry Goodwin’s direction and more than likely effectively ending my career, “but they don’t go into the field and campaign for a reason. Congressman, Josh took your voice and made everyone hear it. Leo’s brilliant, but he can’t execute Josh’s vision.”

The Congressman just looks at me and gives me what looks like a rueful smile. I think I’m about to get fired.

 

Donna’s about to see the Congressman’s sophomoric sense of humor.

“Josh’s chicken fighter.” he chuckles. 

This is going to be fairly mortifying for me.

“You know, Donna, during the primaries I used to tease Josh mercilessly whenever we saw you on t.v., calling you his chicken fighter. I told him you had pluck, you had spirit, you had a fight in you. Why weren’t you working with us? He’d make excuses, ignore me, change the channel, fake an illness, anything he had to get out of the conversation. And then you showed up on our side and I was happy that day. I was happy to see you on t.v. fighting for me, but not half as happy as Josh seemed to be. If you showed half as much passion for me as you just showed for Josh, there wouldn’t be a Republican in this country.”

Donna arches a defiant brow at him. She looks really hot right now.

“I’m not getting rid of Josh, Donna. I know who got me here. I respect the DNC, so I listen to their opinions and their concerns. By now, I would have thought they’d realize the weapon they have in Josh, but for reasons passing my understanding, they don’t.” The Congressman turns to Barry Goodwin. “Of course Josh makes mistakes, he’s human underneath that political machine. But he stays because he’s good at this and he’s loyal.”

Barry Goodwin nods once, throws a look at me and turns and walks away. Barry Goodwin hates me. He hates how many people in the party defer to me when he’s a party elder. I could care less right now. I’m too wrapped up in everything Donna just said. I haven’t let myself actually believe that she still has a high opinion of me.

The Congressman looks over Donna’s shoulder at me and smiles. “Have a good night, Josh.” 

“See you tomorrow, sir.” I say. He turns and walks away and I walk to the other side of Donna, coming into her view. Her eyes are wide and she looks mortified that I just heard all that. I lean up against the wall in the corridor and scratch my chin, looking at her expectantly. I’m trying to go for casual, but the truth is, if I don’t lean up against the wall, my knees might buckle out.

Donna and I have seemingly called a truce with the unspoken agreement to clear everything up after the election. The problem is, it doesn’t seem like either one of us can wait that long anymore. I know I can’t. And from that display, it doesn’t sound like she can either. We imploded when she left the White House. 

She looks at me with a look I’ve come to know well. She’s silently challenging me. She’s done it before. Donna and I can speak volumes in silence.

“You heard?”

“I did.”

“Okay.”

“Okay?”

“What do you want me to say, Joshua?” Take note that she called me Joshua and not Josh. That’s important. “I said what I said and I meant every word.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

“I didn’t think you still had that kind of faith in me.” 

“I’ve never lost faith in you.” she whispers. “I was disenchanted with my life, but I never lost faith in you.”

“Felt like it.”

“I was trying to be what I thought you wanted.”

“When you were what I wanted all along.”

“I should have talked to you then.”

“You tried to talk to me for two weeks, Donna. I didn’t want to face the music.”

“I know, but I should have reassured you that it wasn’t you I was leaving.”

“We should have done a lot of things, Donna.” I chuckle ruefully. “And there were a lot of things we shouldn’t have done.”

“So, what’s left?”

I hold out my hand to her with a lot more confidence than I actually have. “They haven’t done the last dance yet.”

She smiles and takes my hand. We move back through the corridors we know so well to the East Room. It’s still packed with guests. It’s not every Presidency that the White House sees a wedding, so no one is inclined to leave early. 

I lead her through the crowd of people to the dance floor. People have been looking at me all night. I’ve been pulling my hair out all night. She’s sought me out a few times. Certain things are just instinct for Donna, and I seem to be one of them.

She folds right into my arms. We make no attempts at a proper dance frame. She drops her head onto my shoulder and closes her eyes. She’s never done that when we’ve danced before and I always wished she would. My left hand comes in contact with the soft skin of her lower back. This dress has no back and not much of a front. It just might be the sexiest one she’s ever worn. 

“Donna?” I ask softly.

“Mmm?” she replies against my neck.

“What did you mean before when you said you were disenchanted with your life?”

“The direction of my job, Josh.” she says. “I was frustrated. I felt like I was given a second chance and I was wasting it. I wanted more from you and you didn’t seem like you were ready to give it. Something had to give.”

“What did you want from me?”

Like I don’t know. It’s fairly obvious at that moment. She picks her head up off my shoulder and looks right into my eyes. I suddenly feel as if my soul is laid bare before her. She leans forward and places a very soft, very gentle kiss on my lips. It’s over as soon as it begins and she lays her head back down onto my shoulder.

“Oh.” I say brilliantly. She laughs a little and rubs her cheek against my shoulder and I’m left with but one thought in my brain.

What the HELL are we still doing here!?

“Donna, let’s get out of here.” I suggest softly against her ear.

“Where do you want to go? The hotel?”

“My apartment.” I say shaking my head. There’s not going to be any food there. I haven’t been there in a month, but I’ll be damned if any of this is happening in an impersonal hotel. 

“Okay.” she smiles. 

People notice me lead her off the dance floor. I’m sure they see us sneak out the door. Yes, it’s a breach in protocol not to say goodnight to the First Family. But I guarantee you, if the Bartlets witnessed our departure, they’re not going to complain we didn’t say goodnight. 

We head outside to hail a cab. She shivers against the light chill in the air and I shrug out of my tuxedo jacket and drape it around her shoulders. 

 

I pull his jacket tight around me. I’m not actually cold. It’s him that made me shiver and the anticipation of what’s about to come. 

I’m afraid I’m going to blow it at any second. I know he is, too. We’ve already self-destructed, so it’s just picking up the pieces. 

“Where are the cabs?” he asks. “In fact, where are the CARS?”

“Josh!” I laugh. “It’s a White House function, the road is closed.”

He looks down to the end of the block at the police cars on either end. “Oh.” he says simply. “I think we’re going to have to walk a bit before we find a cab.”

“We could take the Metro.” I suggest.

“You’re not getting on the Metro in that dress.” he says quickly.

“Why?” I ask innocently. I open his jacket and draw a slow finger down the part of my chest that’s revealed. “Is there something inappropriate about this dress?”

His eyes go real wide and I smile slightly. I can always tell when he’s had any kind of impure thought about me. He’s putty in my hands. A prime example was the night President Lassiter died. He never would have fallen for that mind control stuff if he wasn’t spending the last five minutes checking me out in my dress. 

He steps over to me and pulls the lapels of his jacket closed across my chest. “This is for BOTH our own good.” he announces and I chuckle. 

“Out of sight out of mind?” I ask arching a brow.

“Donna, you are never out of my mind.” he says simply. He picks up my hand and starts to lead me down the street. Just that simple statement has brought tears to my eyes. Just the simple acknowledgment that we’re not as screwed up as I thought we were makes me feel so much lighter. I thought he and I were beyond repair. But I know now that that is very much not the case. 

 

I kick the door to my apartment shut and she turns to me in the dark and attaches her lips to mine. My arms go around her, and as we’re pushing our way away from the door, our hands are feeling for light switches. I finally find one and a soft glow encases the living room. I push my jacket off her shoulders and she pulls my tie loose. She turns us around and now she’s pushing me into the room and unbuttoning my shirt. 

Things are getting very heated. She pushes my suspenders over my shoulders and my shirt follows. I toe my shoes off.

WHERE’S HER FREAKING ZIPPER!?

What is WRONG with this dress!? I’m shedding clothes like they’re a second skin and nothing’s coming off her! 

Once we’re in my bedroom, she stops kissing me and takes a step back from me. She keeps her eyes locked with mine as her fingers come up to her shoulders, slide the straps over them and the whole dress glides soundlessly to the floor. 

 

He abruptly pulls away from me. I’m stunned at the rush of cold air I suddenly feel at his lack of presence.

“What’s wrong?” I ask hoping to God I’m not showing how frantic I am. 

He sits back on his heels and looks at me. “I have to know that we’re okay first.” He says waving a hand between us. 

“We seem pretty okay here, Josh.” I say trying to tug him back to me. I mean, hell-ooooo Joshua! I’m naked here!

“No, Donna.” he says shaking his head and pressing his palms to his eyes. “I mean, I know there’s a ton that we need to talk about, and I don’t want to do that now,” Thank God! “But, before we do anything else, I have to know that you and I are okay and we’re going to be okay. You and me, being together like this, this means a lot to me. I don’t want to fuck anything up.”

I reach down to the floor and pluck up his t-shirt, pulling it over my head. Since he’s not completely naked here, I probably shouldn’t be either. I sit up and take his hands in mine. Then I move one to his cheek and stroke with my thumb. 

“It’s everything to me, Joshua.” I whisper. 

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” I chuckle softly and then lean in and kiss him softly. “We do have a lot to talk about. But, I think this is a good place to start.”

I hook my hand around the back of his neck and gently tug him down with me, keeping eye contact the whole way. He stretches out next to me and glides a hand down my side. This is a look from him that I think I can used to; this look of wonder and amazement, and dare I say, love.

 

Just when I think I couldn’t love her more, I do. Just when I think I’m completely numb to the pain and happy about it, she says all that stuff that she said tonight. She’s looking at me now like there’s nothing else she wants in the world and I believe her. 

All the feelings for her that I’ve buried over the past year come flooding back and I don’t think I’ve ever made love to a woman with this kind of raw emotion behind it. I know I sounded like some kind of desperate, lovesick fool just now, but I knew I’d never survive if this was some kind of exercise in closure for her. And yes, I am aware that I’m not giving her much credit there, but I don’t think I could survive that kind of heart ache. I barely did last year. 

I sweep my shirt back over her head and run a gentle hand down the side of her naked body. I search out her eyes and they’re looking upon me softly. Her body is the Arc of the Covenant, preciously encasing everything I hold dear that I can see in her eyes. 

“What’s the matter?” she whispers. 

“Are you going to disappear? You always get within touching distance and then disappear.”

She smiles at me. This is my smile. I know exactly where it goes to on her face. I know exactly how much her eyes tear up. 

“I’m not going to disappear. I love you too much to live without you anymore.” 

I grin like an idiot. I realize that I’ve always known that she loves me, but it doesn’t make hearing it any less amazing. 

“I’m not going to tell you I love you.” I snark.

“Oh no?”

“No, I’m going to show you.”

“Really?” she sounds impressed.

“Oh yeah.” I smirk.

“Well, you better do a good job then.” she challenges. 

In answer to her, I dip my head and suck gently on a nipple then blow against it lightly. She hisses in response.

“Oh...well...that’s a good start.” she breathes out. 

“There’s more where that came from.” I smirk. I kiss my way down her chest, down her stomach, just as I’m about to fulfill my ultimate fantasy, my eyes catch sight of the scars on her leg. I turn my head and run my fingers softly along them.

 

Dear God I’m going to lose it! This is turning into a very emotional evening. 

He wasn’t kidding when he said he was going to show me he loved me. He’s peppering light kisses along the scars of my leg. It’s heartbreaking. I haven’t been with a man since Gaza, but if I had, I doubt anyone I would have slept with along the way would have been like this. I’m glad I waited for Josh. I should have waited for him all along. 

He moves up to place a long, soft kiss on the small incision scar on my chest. When his eyes meet mine, they’re filled with a lot of tears and emotion. 

I cup his face in my hands and smile. “Don’t, Josh.” He nods his head and moves to my collarbone. Josh and I have always been about what we haven’t said. And he understands what I’m not saying. It’s time to stop dwelling on the past. It’s time to let what could have been go and focus on what is and building our future together. Because now that I know Josh like this, and now that I have tangible evidence of how much he loves me, there is nobody else I could have a future with. 

He’s moved back down my body and has settled himself in for some fantasy fulfillment on both our parts. 

Oh dear Lord, I’m going blind with pleasure. How does he know? How does he know exactly where to kiss and stroke? It’s like he’s inside my head. The slow burn begins to move in my body then increases and spreads so quickly and so hard that it brings tears to my eyes. 

It’s not until I open my eyes to recover that I see him above me, watching the whole thing. 

“You’re beautiful like that.” he grins. 

He kisses me and I can taste myself on his lips. Suddenly, I need him more than I’ve ever needed him before. I need him to make me feel that way again. A split second after I whimper for him, he joins himself with me. 

He wraps his arms completely around me. It feels better than I ever thought it would. 

“I think I want to spend the rest of my life right here.” he chuckles. 

“You’re a pig sometimes, you know that.” I pretend to be indignant, but I think his plan actually has a lot of merit. 

“Oh, Donna, you have no idea the piggish thoughts I’ve had about you over the years.” 

“After your equipment comment, I think I can imagine.” 

He picks his head up and looks at me, brushing some hair away from my face. “I stopped dreaming about sex with you a long time ago.” he says softly. “Somewhere along the line, it became more about making love.” 

The tears slide down my face. “You’re very eloquent when you’re honest.”

He grins wickedly and begins to move. I throw my head back into the pillow and close my eyes. How does he know? How can he possibly know already exactly where to hit? 

 

I think I’ve had a lot of sex with my eyes closed. I don’t think I’ve ever had any woman in my bed look as beautiful as Donna does. She’s enjoying the hell out of absolutely everything I do. While I will admit to many fantasies with her as the star, I never imagined she’d respond like this. But, of course, why wouldn’t she? We were made for each other. 

She opens her eyes and our gazes lock. She rolls us over, links her hands with mine by my head and takes control. 

It’s quite awesome, and I can’t think straight.

 

I crumble down to his side, our breathing mingling together. He rolls to face me and pulls me close, then starts peppering kisses around my face. Then, he falls back against his pillow and looks up at the ceiling.

“Holy shit. How did that not kills us?” 

I laugh against his shoulder and run my hand down his side. My fingers come across the scar there and start to draw lazy circles over it, then I lay my head over his heart and close my eyes, listening to it beat. I hear him laugh a little bit.

“What?” I smile against his chest.

“You finally get a hold of me and I’m all battered up.” 

I rest my chin on his chest and look up at him. “You HAVE been run through the wringer.”

“I’m not as young as I used to be.” 

“Well, then I’m glad we didn’t do this when you were younger, it definitely would have killed me.” 

He laughs for a second and then his smile fades. “Are you okay?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

“I don’t know.” he shrugs waving a hand around. “This.” 

“Yeah.” I smile. “I’m okay. You?”

“Yeah.” he smiles back. “Donna, I’m sorry.”

“I know you are. I am, too.” 

“That was a great dress you were wearing tonight.”

“Apparently.” 

“Hey, Donna?”

“Yeah?”

“I love you.” I smile widely down at him. “What’s that goofy grin for?” he smiles back at me.

I link my hand with his and pull him to me into a hug. “It wasn’t even my wedding and I got the best gift.”

I snuggle down into his shoulder and he kisses my forehead. Right before I fall asleep, I hear him whisper, “Someday it will be.”

THE END


End file.
